


Early Light

by loves_anodyne (machka)



Series: Dinner and Dancing [2]
Category: Real Person Fiction, Tulsa Gangstas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-02
Updated: 2011-07-02
Packaged: 2017-10-20 22:51:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/217959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/machka/pseuds/loves_anodyne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'What's so remarkable about Love at first sight? It's when people have been looking at each other for years that it becomes remarkable.' ~ unknown</p><p>Will their attraction survive the light of day?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Early Light

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the CinnamonBun Muse - she knows why. ♥
> 
> Sequel to "Dinner and Dancing: Late Night." Yes, there's more. Just couldn't leave them there, now!
> 
> Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction. The events described therein are not intended to represent actual events. No libel or defamation is intended in posting said fictitious work.
> 
> In other words, it's not real, because I made it all up.

Nick came back to consciousness with a smile, the vestiges of his delicious dream lingering on. He and Andy's sister...God, what a dream.

He blinked his eyes open slowly, rolling back toward the window to judge the daylight leaking through the gap in the curtain, and found himself face to face with a sleeping Lexi, looking like she'd just stepped out of the ether...

God... So, not a dream, then.

He reached up and ran his fingertips lightly over the bruise on her neck, smiling to himself. She looked like a damn angel, even now, curled up beside him in bed. He thought back to the events of last night, since he now was sure they weren't just in his head, and drew in a soft breath. He hoped to God she wouldn't have any regrets.

Lexi felt someone touching her throat, and she moved into the touch, not wanting to open her eyes. She drew in a deep breath and let it out with a soft smile. She would recognize the cologne that Nick wore from anything. Her heart sped up as she rolled over into the warmth that he was radiating. "Morning," she whispered softly.

"It certainly is," Nick replied lowly, studying her face. "Did you sleep well, Miss Lexi?"

Lexi smiled. "Best sleep I've had in a long time," she whispered. "How about you?"

"Woke up from the best dream I ever had in my life...found out it came true," he murmured, cupping her cheek gently.

Lexi looked up at Nick, the morning light shining through the curtains, and she smiled softly. "You really know how to flatter with words," she whispered.

"I'm a writer, darlin'..." Nick whispered back. "But I meant every single one."

Lexi let out a slow breath as she leaned in, kissing Nick softly, wanting to see if it was as good as what her memories were saying.

Her mouth moved against his in tandem...perfect.

Nick let out a soft sound against her lips, letting her control the kiss even as he returned it. God, he could do this for hours...

He wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer, and shivered slightly at the heat of her bare skin touching his.

Lexi moaned softly, her body pressing more into Nick's. "Still early...have any ideas about what we can do to make the time pass by?"

Nick leaned in, kissing his way down her throat. "Could think of one or two, maybe..." he murmured, his words vibrating across her skin. He could feel his body reacting to her, responding to her closeness...and he was certain she could feel it too.

Lexi lifted her leg and wrapped it around Nick's thigh, pulling him close as their bodies lined up perfectly. "I'm thinking of a pretty big one right now," she whispered. "And I'm thinking about how good it would feel to repeat last night."

Nick let out a soft groan, feeling his rapidly-hardening cock get trapped between their bodies. "Fuck, Lexi..." he muttered hoarsely, "How'd you read my damn mind?"

Lexi laughed and let her hand slip down between their bodies, slowly ghosting her fingertips over his hard length as it pressed against her. "Because that was what was going through my mind as well..." she murmured, and pulled his hand down between her legs, leaning in to whisper, "and, I am just as ready for you, as you are for me," as she guided his fingers over her pussy.

Nick swallowed a low groan as his fingers parted her lower lips, brushing over her slick opening. He drew some of her wetness up to her clit, circling it gently, and then moved his hand back, slipping two fingers deep inside her heat.

"God, I want to be inside this..." he whispered hoarsely, thrusting his fingers into her over and over.

Lexi arched slow and sensually into Nick's fingers and body. She nodded slowly at his words, her voice deep and husky with desire. "Then what are you waiting for?" she whispered. "Take it." She reached over Nick's shoulder to the strip of condoms from the night before.

Nick tossed the blankets roughly aside, his hungry gaze raking her body. "Waitin' for you t'put one on me," he rumbled, resting his hand on her back a moment before allowing himself to caress her.

Lexi leaned in and kissed Nick hard before she shifted and straddled his hips. She knelt up and slowly rolled the condom down over his cock. Next time, she told herself, next time -- she would have him in her mouth.

She braced her hands on either side of his head and slowly lowered herself down.

Nick stared up at her, his eyes dark with desire. He rested his hands lightly on her hips, struggling to remain still beneath her, as much as he wanted to snap his hips up and drag hers down... No, this was still all about her, and as excruciating as it was for him to be entering her at such an agonizingly slow pace... God, it was making him harder than he thought he'd ever been, feeling her slick heat wrapping around him, her pussy gradually opening and taking him in...

Lexi's head dropped back once she was completely seated over Nick. She could feel her hair brushing over her lower back, giving her goosebumps, and her nipples pebbled as she slowly started to move.

Nick stared openly at the lithe lines of her body, curving above him. "So fuckin' beautiful..." he whispered hoarsely, running his hands down her flanks to her thighs, and back up to cup her ass, just feeling her muscles move beneath her skin.

Lexi's body flushed hot at the words slipping from Nick’s mouth, and she moved her hips, rocking down against him, his body causing that delicious friction she was craving.

"I swear to God, Lexi, I will never get tired of this..." Nick murmured, letting his hands roam her body, wherever they could reach. "Lookin' at you...riding m'cock...it's yours, baby; all for you..."

Lexi moaned softly and leaned down, sweeping her hair to the side to keep it out of Nick's face as she kissed him hard, keeping up the rhythmic motion of her hips.

Nick ran his hands up Lexi's sides, cupping her gently-swaying breasts in his palms. How perfectly they fit in his hands... Her whole body just... _fit_... His soft moan was muffled against her lips, but he didn't care. He slid the pads of his thumbs across her nipples, circling and caressing them, as he poured his heart and soul into their kiss.

Lexi slowed her movements of her hips as she got closer to the edge. Nick's hands on her felt...perfect. It was effortless how well they moved together, like they had been doing this forever...it felt like she was home. She leaned down, kissing up Nick's neck, her cheek brushing over his beard. She whispered softly in his ear, "Perfect."

"You are..." Nick whispered back, beginning to thrust up into her, unable to keep still any longer. His hands came to rest on her hips, helping to control their movements together; an easy, practiced rocking and retreat, almost as if they'd been together like this for years...

He swallowed a groan, tightening his fingers on Lexi's hips as he felt his control start to slip. "Lexi...baby...gonna..." he panted out softly, shifting his head so he could see her eyes.

Lexi was right there as well. She looked down at Nick, her hair falling down over her shoulders. "Me too...don't hold back..." she whispered, feeling the tight coil of intense pleasure getting ready to explode.

Nick bit his lower lip hard as his hips snapped up sharply, burying himself to the hilt, each time pushing himself closer to the edge until he tumbled over.

"Oh God, Lexi...." He let out a groan like he was dying, pulling her hips down to his, grinding his pubis against her clit as his cock throbbed and pulsed inside her tight heat.

Feeling Nick come threw Lexi over the edge. She came hard, calling out Nick's name as she collapsed on his chest, needing to feel him as her body trembled through her orgasm.

Nick locked his hands together behind her lower back, continuing to grind up against her until he could feel her spasms subsiding. Groaning softly, he moved his hands gently up her back, holding her close as they both caught their breaths. "My beautiful Alexis..." he whispered, brushing a kiss over her hair, feeling the lump in his throat getting bigger.

Lexi's emotions were raw and on edge after the act, and she buried her face into Nick's neck. It had been so long since someone unrelated to her had told her that she was beautiful... She held tight, never wanting to let go.

Nick swallowed thickly, slipping a hand into Lexi's hair, cradling her head against his neck. "My sweet, gorgeous, absolutely perfect Lexi..." he murmured against her hair, tightening his other arm around her back. "Now that I've got you, I never wanna let you go..." he whispered hoarsely, his voice on the edge of cracking with emotion. "...You're mine."

Lexi nodded, her voice gone as the emotions overwhelmed her. She knew that with anyone else, what she was feeling would be rushing it...but not with Nick. It was just as it was supposed to be.

"Good...don't ever let go, and I won't either," she whispered.

She finally pulled her head up and glanced at the clock. "Shit, we've got to get moving..." She looked down at Nick, her expression serious. "Will you come back to New York with me?" she whispered. She knew that it was a definite spur-of-the-moment thing...but she really didn't want to go back home alone. She wanted to see what this could be...more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.

Nick reached up, touching her cheek gently. "Darlin', I'm already half-packed."

Lexi let herself relax into Nick's arms again. "Good...not ready for us to be apart quite yet..." she whispered. She felt silly, and she just hoped that Nick felt the same way. She carefully moved off of Nick and picked up her dress. She slipped it back on and walked over to the bed. "Will you zip me up, please?" she whispered.

Nick sat up slowly, removing the condom as Lexi pulled her clothes back on. He let out a soft breath at her request, and paused before complying. "...Only if you say I can take it back off when we get to Bob and Carol's."

Lexi grinned and turned around, kissing Nick softly. "Deal...although you might have to make a run for it, if Andy's there," she teased.

"I can handle Andy," Nick replied, cupping her breasts as he leaned up and kissed her again. "He's the one who's gonna have t'deal."

Lexi felt lighter, and happier than she had dreamed she'd be feeling, being back in Tulsa. "You going to get dressed any time soon?" she whispered against his lips.

"Hate wearin' clothes..." Nick muttered. "But can't really go into public without 'em, so..." He pushed off the bed, his hands resting on her waist as he pulled her tight against him. "Can't wait t'get naked with you again, God... Fuckin' addictive..."

Lexi laughed softly and wrapped her arms around Nick. "Just me and you in my apartment..." she whispered.

"Oh, God..." he groaned lowly, burying his face against her neck, nipping lightly at the bruise staining her skin there. "Gonna do you all over the fuckin' place," he growled.

Lexi closed her eyes, leaning into Nick, and let out a content sigh, a soft smile playing on her face. "I can't wait...but we need to get over to Mom and Dad's so that we can get you a plane ticket to come home with me," she whispered.

"Minor details..." Nick murmured, reluctantly stepping back. He grabbed some clean clothes out of his suitcase, cramming his suit and toiletries into it rather haphazardly. "There. Packed. Heh."

Lexi smiled and slipped her shoes back on. She snagged her purse and dug through it for her fold-up brush, taking the time to run it through her hair while Nick got dressed. She had thought that the morning might be awkward...but it wasn't. She was happy, and it felt like they had woken up together like this every day.

Nick did one more sweep-through of the room, making sure that he hadn't left a sock or underwear in the sheets, did the express checkout on the television, and turned to the most beautiful girl in the world. "Ready, baby? My car's downstairs..."

Lexi smiled and nodded, reaching out for his hand and threading her fingers through his. "New day...new beginning," she whispered, leaning into Nick as they headed for the elevator.

Nick kissed her hair softly, smiling. "Most definitely."

Lexi swallowed hard as she got into Nick's car and glanced in the mirror. She saw the mark on her neck and laughed softly. "Well...that will be a dead giveaway," she grinned, and leaned back in the seat, ready to deal with the world.

Nick snorted, gunning it out of the parking garage. "Just let 'em say somethin'." Smiling widely, he drove the few short blocks to Lexi's parents' house, pulling into the drive in almost no time at all.

Lexi drew in a deep breath, seeing Andy’s rental in the drive beside her parents’ car. She turned to Nick and leaned in, kissing him softly. "I'm ready...are you?" she smiled.

"Ready as I'm ever gonna be," Nick murmured, kissing her back. "Well, let's go get 'em." He cut the engine and pulled the keys, slipping out of the car.

Lexi walked up the drive and saw the front door open, with Andy standing in the doorway, his arms folded tightly across his chest. "Well, can't say I didn't expect him there..."

"Uh oh..." Nick murmured, and rested the palm of his hand against Lexi's lower back. "Looks like we're gonna face the music right off the bat..."

Andy glared at his best friend and sister. "Don't you two know how to use a fucking phone?" he snapped, once they stood in front of him.

"Sorry, man..." Nick murmured, giving Andy a sheepish look. "Kind of got distracted..."

Lexi snorted and pushed past Andy, headed for the guest room that had her clothes. She peeked in the kitchen and smiled at her mom and dad. "I'm home...and Nick's going back to New York with me," she said, and then ducked back out and all but ran for the guest room.

Andy stepped back in front of the doorway and looked at Nick. "Are you fucking my sister?" he asked bluntly, his eyes hard. He loved his friends...but their track record with breaking his sister’s heart wasn't good.

Nick's eyes narrowed. "First of all, it's none of your business whom your sister 'fucks', as you so eloquently put it. Second of all, yes, Lexi and I spent the night together. What we did together is also none of your business. Now, are you going to let me in the house, or am I going to wait in the car for Lexi to come out?"

Andy didn't move, speaking through clenched teeth. "Yes, it _is_ my business, because I'm the one that she comes to when she gets her heart broken. So, no, I'm not going to move until you tell me what is going on...because if this was just a one-night thing, then go home."

"I’m going back to fuckin' New York City with her, dickhead!" Nick snarled, his hands curling into fists. "Didn't you hear her tell your mom and dad just now? Does that fucking _sound_ like a one-night stand?"

Andy let out a soft breath and dropped his arms. "I just...I don't want to see her hurt by one of my best friends again," he whispered.

"Andy..." Nick stepped forward, laying a soft hand on Andy's arm. "I don't want to see her hurt, either."

Instead of moving away, Andy pulled Nick into a hard hug. "Then you better make sure you keep her happy, 'cause the second that she calls me crying, I'm hunting your ass down," he whispered, and then stepped back, letting him in the house.

Nick nudged Andy with his shoulder as he passed. "Swear to God I'll do everything I can."

Andy shut the door and sighed. He watched Nick walk into the house and he headed back for the kitchen to eat his now probably-soggy cereal.

"Lex?" Nick called softly, moving into the house. He nodded to a very puzzled-looking Bob and Carol in the kitchen as Andy rejoined them, and continued down the hall. "Lexi?"

Lexi peeked her head out the door and smiled. "You going to help me like you promised?" she asked softly.

"I always keep my promises..." Nick murmured huskily, stepping into the room with her.

Lexi stepped back, letting Nick into the room before she shut the door and locked it behind her. Smiled softly, she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You and Andy okay?"

"Not sure..." Nick replied, wrapping his arms around her back. "He promised to hunt me down if I ever made you cry, so there's that..."

Lexi bit her bottom lip, worrying it between her teeth. "I don't want to come between you two," she whispered.

"You won't," Nick murmured, nuzzling her cheek. "Just have to keep you happy and never make you cry. He'll come around."

Lexi closed her eyes and leaned into Nick. "You are doing a damn good job of it so far...and post-climax tears sooo do not count."

Nick chuckled lowly, nibbling lightly at her earlobe. "Good t'know... God knows that's the only time I'd ever want to bring tears to your eyes..."

Lexi leaned into Nick and smiled. "You going to help me with this dress?" she whispered.

"Told you I never break a promise..." Nick murmured, turning Lexi in his arms. He grasped the tongue of her zipper and began to lower it again, shifting her hair forward over her shoulder as he bent forward to press soft kisses down the nape of her neck.

Lexi let out a soft, breathy moan. "We are going to have to wait till we get to my apartment to enjoy ourselves...have to make it to the airport," she whispered.

"Damn... I have to wait all that time?" he whispered, his breath hot against her skin. "You ever hear of the Mile-High Club?"

Lexi arched into his touch. "You going to introduce me to it?" she whispered breathlessly, her hand slipping up and tangling in his hair.

Nick slid his hands into her dress, cupping the undersides of her breasts. "If you can get us two seats together, and a blanket or two to cover us up... I can make you come, over and over and over again..."

Lexi moaned. "God damn it, Nick...Andy is the one that has all the luck with airlines...maybe I'll ask him and see what he can do," she whispered, standing on her toes and kissing him hard.

"Don't tell him why, though... He'll punch me in the nut sack..." Nick breathed into her mouth.

Lexi laughed softly and gave him a tender kiss. "Mmm...hold that thought," she whispered. Grabbing her phone, she sent a quick text to Andy asking him to find a ticket for Nick on the flight, seated close to her. Setting her phone down, she cupped Nick's face, pulling him in for a deeper kiss.

Nick tugged lightly at the shoulders of her dress, pulling it down her arms to bare her breasts. With a low moan, he bent her back as he leaned forward, closing his lips around one of her exposed nipples.

Lexi moaned headily as she pulled Nick closer. She closed her eyes as her head tipped back, enjoying the spikes of pleasure racing through her.

Nick nipped lightly at her breast, growling out a low, "Can't fuckin' get enough of you..." before switching to her other breast, sucking and kneading greedily.

Lexi threaded her hands into Nick's hair and pulled him up for an all-consuming kiss, pushing all of her emotions into it.

Nick kissed her back hungrily, his arms tightening around her almost painfully, unable to bear even the slightest distance between them. "God-damn..." he panted heavily, pulling away to breathe. "I don't know how th'fuck I'm gonna be able t'keep my hands and mouth off of you on th'way home..."

Lexi moaned into the kiss. "Mmm...I think that we'll make it," she whispered.

"...Better get some clothes on, then, or I'm’a pin your ass to th'wall and eat you out right here," Nick muttered hoarsely.

Lexi's eyes darkened almost immediately. "When we get to my apartment, you can do whatever you want," she whispered headily.

"...Yeah?" Nick breathed, his throat rattling. "God, the things I want t'do to you.."

"And I can't wait... " She grabbed her phone when she heard it chime, and smiled when she read the text from Andy. "New tickets. Side by side," she said softly. "We need to get going."

Nick nodded and stepped reluctantly back, watching her like a hawk, his eyes sweeping her body repeatedly, always finding something new and different he wanted to touch and kiss and nibble and explore... And each one, he filed away for that ephemeral "later" that couldn't come soon e-God-damn-nough.

Lexi could feel her cheeks glowing at the feel of Nick's eyes on her. It wasn't uncomfortable at all; instead, it made her happier than she could have ever thought. She slipped her trainers on and grabbed her bags. "Okay...time to say good bye, and get this show on the road," she said, kissing Nick softly. "Can't wait to get home..." she whispered, letting her hand trail over his cheek.

Nick turned his head, nipping lightly at her wrist, his eyes glittering. "Me neither..." he rumbled, making an obvious show of adjusting his crotch. "I've been hard for half a fuckin' hour now..."

"Think unsexy thoughts," she teased, and moved in to kiss him again. He wasn't the only one that couldn't stop touching or feeling... It still seemed like a dream that she was going to wake up from.

"Darlin', around you? No such thing..." Nick murmured against her lips, ghosting his hands over her breasts again.

Lexi smiled and turned reluctantly to go to the kitchen and tell her mom and dad good-bye. It was a tearful couple of minutes before she finally turned to Andy, pulling him in tight and thanking him for getting the tickets. But before she knew it, they were back in the car and headed for the airport.

Tentatively she reached over and squeezed Nick's hand.

Nick turned his head toward her, threading their fingers together. "What's up, beautiful?" he asked softly.

Lexi shook her head. "Just glad that you came over to the table last night," she whispered.

"Wouldn't miss a chance at dancin' with the mysterious brunette, now..." Nick murmured, squeezing her hand back. "Can't let chances like that pass by."

Lexi smiled softly and let out a breath that she hadn't realized that she'd been holding. "No more letting chances slip away."

"Nope, not a chance of that happening," Nick grinned, bouncing their hands lightly together on the console. "Now, where the hell is long-term parking, and how do we get to the terminal?"

Nick found a well-sheltered spot in the long-term parking lot, and before long, the parking shuttle was discharging Nick, Lexi, and their luggage at Delta Airlines' curbside check-in. Nick took their boarding passes from the ticket agent with a smile, and palmed Lexi's lower back as he led her into the terminal.

They joined the queue at the security checkpoint, handing over their boarding passes and IDs to the bored-looking agent at the head of the line. Nick smiled slightly at the full-body scanner, and thanked God that he no longer had the hard-on that was plaguing him earlier - try explaining _that_ to the dour-faced TSA agents...

He set his shoes on the belt and made it through the scanner without incident, waiting for Lexi on the other side.

Lexi followed suit, grinning at Nick as she slipped on her shoes on the other side, letting out a soft breath. "You know what we should do one day? A road trip."

"A road trip, huh... Where to?" Nick asked, wandering over to the departure screen to check their departure gate.

Lexi leaned into him slightly and whispered into his ear. "Anywhere you want to go...just me and you." It was insane for her to be even thinking all of this -- they had been together for one night and she was already making up plans in her head. She needed to get a grip on herself.

Nick slid his arm around her shoulders, tucking her in against him. "We have time to make plans," he murmured, and pressed a soft kiss to her hair as he walked her toward the gate.

Lexi relaxed into Nick as they walked. "Does this seem weird, or rushed to you?" she asked finally, biting her lip as she waited to hear what Nick would say.

"You'd think, wouldn't you..." he murmured, chuckling softly. "But really...how long have we known each other now? Nine, ten years? How rushed is this, really?"

Lexi let out a breath and smiled. "Exactly...we just had to wait for a time when we were ready for each other," she whispered.

"I'm glad we finally figured it out, gorgeous..." Nick whispered back, kissing her softly.

"Me too...although with all of our tweets back and forth, I'm sure that there’s a good number of people wondering how we haven't gotten together yet," she teased.

"Let 'em wonder," Nick chuckled. "None of their damn business anyway. So, can I buy you lunch?"

"Yes, please -- I'm starving! No breakfast, and very little dinner last night..." She slipped her arm through his and let out a slow breath. "I'm off work for the rest of this week. I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay in Tulsa or not after the wedding... So, I'll get to show you all the good places to eat."

"Take me t'some of them fancy-assed restaurants that you're always blogging about and takin' pictures of.." Nick grinned, steering her into the TGIFridays. "All right, two for lunch, please..."

Lexi smiled and took a seat across the table from Nick. "And I'll take you to the little places that have better food than the fancy restaurants."

"Sweet!" Nick chortled, flipping the menu open. "Oh, look...two for $20 lunches..."

Lexi laughed and opened her menu. Glancing over it, she really had no idea what she wanted. "Hey...order me something? I'm going to run to the restroom real quick," she said softly, squeezing Nick's hand.

Nick smiled and nodded. "Will do, sugar..."

Lexi smiled and walked back to the restroom, glancing at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were still tinged with the blush from hearing Nick call her “sugar.” She couldn't stop the smile from forming on her face as she washed her hands. She was happy, really happy, for the first time in a long time.

Nick leaned back in his chair, scratching the back of his neck as he stared at the table in front of him. Yeah, maybe it was "quick" by ordinary standards...but they'd known each other for so damn long now... Nick smiled tenderly. No one could rightly call it love at first sight.

Lexi fussed with her hair for a few minutes before she walked back out and slipped into her seat. "Did you tell anyone that you were going to New York, and not back home?" She wondered what his roommate would think.

"Nope, sure didn't," he replied affably. "None of their business, really... I told most of 'em I'd be in Tulsa at least a few days..."

Lexi knew that as soon as Andy spoke to Jennie, she would be getting a phone call demanding to know what was going on. "I'm glad that you threw caution to the wind and came with me," she whispered, her fingers playing with the napkin in front of her.

Nick tilted his head, studying Lexi a moment. "Hey...wouldn't have thought t'do anythin' differently..." he murmured, laying his hand over hers. "You all right?"

Lexi bit her lip and smiled softly up at Nick. "Yeah...I really am. You make me happy," she whispered. "I guess I'm so used to bad things happening with anything good that I'm a bit gun-shy." She looked up at him for his reaction.

"You an' me both, darlin'..." he murmured back. "I think our advantage is that we were friends first, and got t'know each other real well, before th'physical attraction ever started..."

Lexi couldn't stop the blush. "Yeah...although I can't say that I didn't have thoughts about it...because I did."

A slow grin spread across Nick's face. "Yeah?"

Lexi bit her lip and looked up at Nick. "Yeah...maybe," she teased. "So -- what did you order me?"

"Grilled chicken Caesar salad good?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, that sounds really good..." She looked down at their joined hands with an answering smile. "I’ll probably get a call from my mom tonight... I really didn't give her or dad a chance to talk today before I left. God knows what Andy said to them..."

Nick squeezed her hand gently. "They know me, Lexi... I'd like to think that they'll all give me a fair chance to make their girl happy."

Lexi smiled and nodded. "I know...and they will." She looked up and started to say something, but was cut off as the waitress brought their food.

Nick peered at Lexi as the plates were set down in front of them, wondering what she had been about to say. He gave a mental shrug, figuring if it was important enough, she'd let him know.

He smiled his thanks at the waitress and dug into his grilled chicken sandwich. Matching meals, and they'd only been a couple for twelve hours.

It wasn't long before she was pushing back her plate, too full to finish the stray bits of lettuce left. "What time is it?" she asked, wondering how much more time they had.

"Got about a half-hour before we board," Nick replied with a smile.

"Good. Now you have plenty of time to tell me what you have planned for moving to Tennessee." She smiled as she sipped her sweet tea and leaned back in her seat.

"Not much t'tell," Nick replied, smiling. "Got a better shot at doin' what I love if I'm based there, and not in Tulsa."

"Very true... Are you ready to make that step?" she asked curiously. "Aside from us?"

"I've _been_ ready, love," Nick replied, nodding. "That's why I've been makin' all them trips these past few months. Gettin' my ducks in a row, findin' a place to crash, makin' connections and puttin' out feelers.."

Lexi let out a soft smile. "Good...this will do you good..." she whispered. “And I'm selfish, because it will be easier to see you if you are in Nashville."

"Nope, no ulterior motives for you..." Nick murmured, running his fingers lightly over the back of her hand.

"Never. You want to walk to our gate...sit down and wait?"

"Sure thing, beautiful," Nick replied with a smile.


End file.
